Bag closure



F 1945- P. s. COGI-VIILL 2,369,716

BAG CLOSURE Filed Jan. 15, 1942 '5 Sheets-Sheet 1 mill '0 & Cog/1i!) INVENTOR ATTORNEY Feb. 20, 1 945. s. CQGHlLL 2,369,716

BAG CLOSURE Filed Jan. 15, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 [vi-17 J? (by/hill INVENTOR I I ATTORNEY Feb. v20, 1945; s P. s. COGHI'LLI 2, 6

BAG ()LOSURE Filed Jan. 15, 1942 5 Sheets-S eet 4 Phi/ '0 J. 09 171 k ATTORNEY PM), 1945. P;s CQGHI 2,369,716

BAG CLOSURE Filed Jan. '15, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 J: (by/217] INVENTOR Patented Feb. 20, 1945 umrizo STATES-PATENT OFFICE BAG CLOSURE Philip s. Coghill, Wilmington, Del., assignor to E. I. du Pont de Nemours 8; Company, Wil- .mington, DeL, a corporation of Delaware Application January 15, 1942, Serial No. 426,863

1 Claim.

mg, of bags; to provide pouring spouts for pow-- dered products and-other free-flowing products; to close bags containing powdered and other free-flowing materials in a leak-proof manner by inexpensive and easil applied means; and to provide for adequate rec osure of the opened bags. Still further objects were to provide tabs 'or sections simulating tabs, adapted to provide pouring apertures; to provide a cut opening in a bag closure; to prevent, by providing reenforcement, the tearing or splitting of bags after a'cut opening has been made, and to provide a. device which such a way that the said closure can be torn apart with the fingers to form a pouring spout without weakening the bag, and without complete opening of the bag mouth. A general advance in the art, and other objects which will appear hereinafter, are also contemplated.

It has now been found that enclosing within or associating in a related manner with, the mouth of a bag with a simple blank described in detail hereinafter, overcomes the common objections heretofore encountered when flowable products such as beans, flour, sugar, rice and the like were packaged in transparent wraps. The present invention provides an improved bag and related container opening arrangement which permits easy opening, allows the contents to be dispensed in a controlled stream, can be adequately reclwsed. and forestalls wrapper splitting and untimely s'pills and leakage of flowable products packed inclear sheeting. 1

' How the-foregoing objects and related ends are accomplished will be apparent from the following exposition in which are disclosed the principle and diversembodiments of the invention, including the best mode contemplated for carrying out the same. The written description is amplified by the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bag with it's mouth folded together and sealed with a closure device of this invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the closed and sealed bag mouth illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view similar to Figure 1, showing the folding of the bag mouth preliminary to its association with the closure device;

, Figure 4 is a plan view of the blank illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a bag with its mouth pressed together and-fastened with a modified form of closure device of this invention;

Figure 6 is a plan view of the blank illustrated in Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a bag with its mouth pressed together and fastened with another modification of the closure device of this invention;

Figure 8 is a plan view of the closure device of Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a sectional plan view 'taken along the line 9-9 of Figure 7;

Figure 10 is a perspective view of a bag with its mouth pressed together and secured with still another modification of the closure device of this invention;

Figure 11 is a plan view of the blank shown in Figure 10;

Figure 12 is a, perspective view of a bag with its mouth pressed together and sealed with a modified form of the closure device of this invention;

Figure 13 is a plan view of the blank shown in Figure 12;

Figure14 is a top plan view of the bag and closure illustrated in Figure 12;

Figure 15 is a perspective view of a bag with its mouth pressed together and sealed with yet another modified form of the closure device of this invention;

Figure 16' is a fragmentary perspective view showing an intermediate step in the closing of the bag illustrated in Figure 15;

Figure 17 is a plan view of a modified form of the closure blank shown in Figures 15 and 16;

Figure 18 is a plan view of the closure blank shown in Figure 15;

Figure 19 is a plan view of the bag and closure device of Figure 15; v

Figure 20 is a perspective view of a'bag with its mouth pressed together and sealed with a one from the plan view of the same closure device which is a modification of the closure device of Figure 18;

closure device removed to form a pouring spout;

and

Figure 23 is a plan view of the closure device shown inFigure 20.

The facility with which the various types of bags (for example, flat, mandrel, satchel, spiral, square, automatic) can be formed from cast regenerated cellulose film, and the tremendous sales appeal of commodities packed therein, has, as is commonly known, greatly extended the us of this sheet material in this field. Unfortunately, regenerated cellulose sheet tears very readily once a break has been made, and this has militated against its use in forming containers for mateover considerable periods of time. Heretofore no really satisfactory method of keeping a regenerated cellulose bag'intact, after its mouth had been cut or broken to facilitate dispensing its contents, has been known. The present invention overcomes these difllculties in a simple and inexpensive manner.

Referring'now to page 1 of the drawings, comprising Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, there is illustrated at l a paper blank or form, comprising sections 30, 40, 50, B0, 10 and 80, bounded by the edges of the blank, printed lines 3|; 58 and I or folding lines 05, 40, 58 and 01. It will be. noted that one end of the line I8 is at the scored line 58,

and that the other end does not quite extend to theedge 81. In closing a bag with this-blank,

the blank is foldedalong line 58, the tab comprisin8' sections 80 and 40 folded along the line mouth and the folded blank 'thereover is subjected to" a heat sealing operation by being Dressed between corrugated heat sealing irons,

whereby the bag and closure ar firmly secured together and the sealing operation completed. The neat appearance of the closure will be obvi- Figure 2. To open the-bag,- and incidentally provide a p uringspout the closure device is severed along the lines 34, B and II. This canbe accomplished .by tearing, or by nipping with a pair of scissors or other convenient instrument. As will be apparent from Figure 1, the construction enables an adequate reclosing of the b'sgto be opened,

plied are ordinarily made of plain regenerated cellulose sheet, which material, though wellknown in the art. is for the sake bi! convenience described in ,detail elsewhere in the specification. The blank 4 is treated on one side (the side that contacts the bag) so that it seals to the bag material during the heat sealing operation. 'In H. S. A. Patent 2,174,885 of- October preferred mode of operation the assemblage comprising the bag with the folded.

coating which is typical of th materials that may be employed for this purpose. A gummed surface is the expedient preferably employed to bring about the heat scalability. The blank is 5 preferably of a character which can b readiiy torn with the fingers, for example, a 50 to 60 pound stock.

Modified forms of the previously described closure arrangement, in which the closure blanks are designed to be positioned within the bag month, are illustrated on page 2 of the drawings, comprising Figures 5 through 9. In these cases the bag is made of a heat scalable material, preferably regenerated cellulose sheet having a heat sealable moistureproofing coating. Al-

though such material is in common and extensive use, details of its preparation are set forth hereinafter.

In Figure 6 there is illustrated a closure blank comprising sections IOI, I03, I04, Hit, 608 and rials which must be dispensed in small portions strip is continuous along the edge III, but only half of such a strip, that consisting of sections I04 and I06, is shown because the remainder is functionally unnecessary. In employing the closure device illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, the

blank is folded along the line I 09 and sealed along the edge III by means of the adhesive on the sections I04 and I06, together with the adhesive (if any) on the portions of sections MI and I03 which sections I04 and I06 contact. The

resulting triangularly shaped form is then positioned within the mouth of the bag, the sides of the bag mouth pressed thereagainst, and the assemblage pressed between the laws of a conventional heat sealing device. -The surface of 49 the blank 6 opposite that containing the adhesivematerial along the edge II I, ordinarily has a smooth clay coating to enable the blank to be heat sealed to the bag material. Preferably the blank is constructed oi! 50 to pound stock 4 or other paper which can be readily torn with the fingers. Any coating which will securely seal to the bag material, when activated by heat, may be used.

' To open the bag, the blank is cut or torn along the line I02. Since the under side (inside) of the blank does not heat seal to itself, access through the heat sealed section along the bag mouth is provided. It will be appreciated that the bag material is heat scalable to itself, so that II the seal extends completely across the mouth of the bag, whether or not the bag walls are separated by the material of the blank 6.

Ajmodiflcation of this type of blank, in which the foldedblank completely fills, or extends completely across, the inside of the bag mouth, is shown at8 in Figure 8. This blank comprises,

similarly to blank s, sections m, m, m, m, I28 and I30, delineated by the edges of the blank, printed guide lines I 22 and III, scored line I20.

,and lines I21 and III representing the edge of an adhesive strip. As was the case withthe blank 0, the adhesive section extending along the edge I32 may continue along the entire side of the blank, but in the interest 01' clarity only the 19 portionnecessary for satisfactory functioning oi the closure blank is shown in the drawings. This I blank is employed in somewhat the same manner s the bla th t is to say, it is folded along the line I 29, and the overlapped portions along *8. 1939, there is disclosed a'resinous 11m scalable to the edge In sealed.- 7

The bag illustrated in Figure '7 has side gussets, and in the preferred mode of operation these gussets extend up between the sections I2I and I28, as is quite clearly shown in the sectional view in Figure 9. The inside surfaces I33 and I34 of the thus positioned blank, like the corresponding surfaces of the blank 6, do not heat seal to themselves, so 'that when the assembled bag and closure .blank are subjected to the heat sealing operation, a satisfactory closure of the bag is obtained, but an openingfor dispensing the contents of. the bag is available when the blank 8 is torn or cut, for example, along the guide line I22. The inside of the blank should be treated so that even though it does not heat seal to itself, it does heat seal to the bag material. Conventional clay coating satisfactorily accomplishes this purpose. Adequate reclosure of the bag shown in Figures 5 and 7 is obtained by simply pressing'the bag mouth and closure device back into fiat position.

Closure blanks related to those of Figures 6 and 8 are illustrated in the modifications of the present invention'shown on page 3 of the drawings, comprising Figures 10, 11,12, 13 and 14. In Figure 11 there is shown a blank I I comprising sections I and I43 separated by guide line I42, which make up one-half or one side of the blank, and sections I46 and I48 separated by printed line I53, constituting the other side of the form. Narrow strips of adhesive I41 and I49, along the edges I54 and I55, extend inwardly to the lines I45 and I52, respectively. These strips of adhesive are applied by printing or equivalent means well knownin the art. The adhesive, as wasthe case with the blanks 6 and 8; is preferably of the aqueous type, for example, glue.

The application of this blank II is believed to be obvious fronra consideration of Figure 10'. There the blankjis folded along the scored line I44. The portions along the edges I54 and I55 are sealed to the corresponding portions of the other sideof theblank, the resultant placed in the mouth of the bag at Ig, and the assemblage subjected to a heat sealing operation. Opening the form of pouring spout and reclosing of the I10 to extend along the edges of one-half the blank I3,-in order to secure an operative device. If such sections terminated on one side of the line I64, a more expensive mode of application, for example, printing, would be necessary.

One interesting advantage of this blank is that it can be proportioned so that pre-assembly (folding and edge scaling) is not necessary. If the closure blank extends such a short distance above the mouth of the bag'that it'is encompassed by the jaws of the heat sealing apparatus, the adhesive material may be of a heat sealable character, the edges of the blanksealed to each other, and the blank itself sealed in the bag mouth in one operation. In this type of operation, the blank will normally be supplied to the packager .in the flat form shown in Figure 13. It will be appreciated that theblanks of Figures 4, 6, 8 and 11 could also be supplied to the packager in an unfolded condition, but that it is generally preferable to prefabricate, that is, to.fold and seal these other types, in the interest of uniformity of production and accuracy of folding.

How much the blank I3 extends outside the heat sealing surfaces, or mouth of the bag, will obviously depend upon the amount of material which the packager wishes to have available for printing (advertising) and consumer manipulation in forming the pouring spout.

On page 4 of the drawings, modifications of the present closure device, in which the blank is assembled partly inside and partly outside the bag mouth, are shown inFigures 15 through 19.

The blank I8, first to be considered, is shown in Figure 18 as comprising sections 20l, 203, 205, 201, 209, ZII and 2I3, bounded by the edges 01 the blank, scored, folding lines ztz, m and 2m,

' printed tear line 208-2I0, cuts 204 and 2I2, and

resultant package, is secured in the manner previously described.

Although the advantages of a pouring spout to consider the economic aspects and for this reasona simpler and more easily prepared blank is illustrated in the modification is in Figure 13. The, arrangement of this blank is similar to that of Figure 11, since it comprises a central scored folding line I64, having on oneside sections I6I and I63, separated by the printed line I62, which serves as a guide in opening, and on the other side sections I68 and .I13 separated by the guide line I68. Since blanks of this character are sections cut from continuous narrow paper strips, it is more economical to apply the adhesive sections I81 and I10 continuously along the edges as the blanlnmaterial moves through the manufacturing or forming apparatus. The lines I 69 and I14 indicate the inward boundary, 'and the edges I12 and I05 the opposite edges of the gum or glue surface portions. V

The manner which this blank is employed is believed clear from a consideration of the bag I7 in Figure 12, and the 'plan view of the same in Figure 14. It will be understood that it is only necessary for the adhesive sections I61 and line 208 indicating the edge of an adhesive strip. In using this blank it 'is'folded along the lines 2I4 and 208 and positioned inside the bag mouth as shown in Figure 16.. Thereafter the sides of the bag mouth are pressed together, and the section 203 folded over the mouth of the bag into contact with the outside of the bag, as shown on a somewhat exaggerated scale in Figure19. This assemblage is then pressed in a heat sealing device to produce the closed bag shown at 6a and b in Figure 15. The folding along lines 214 and 208 maybe carried outby the manufacturer as a prefabrication step, or left totheuser of the bag to be folded at an appropriate time in the bag closing operation. The under sides of the sections 209 and 2 are coated with an adhesive, and when the folding along the line 208 takes place, the adhesive is brought into contact with the outside surface of the section 205'. In order to decrease thecost of manufacture, the adhesive strip may continue past the cut 2I2 all the way along the edge of the section 2I3. This-follows because such astrip can be applied by passing the edge of the blank along an ad hes'ive-applying roller. The arrangement 'shown in Figure 18 would normally have to be applied by a printing process. Any more adhesive than that shown in this figure is functionally unnec essary.

' The bag is opened and a pouring spout formed by severing the sections 205 and 201, preferably along the lines 206 and 2 I0, from that portion of the blank sealed about the bag mouth.

A closely related modification is illustrated'by the blank I: in Figure 17. This blank comprises I85. The boundaries of these sections are indicated by scored folding lines I82 and I81, rinted or scored severance line 92, out I84, lines I89 an I90 representing the edges of an adhesive section, and lines I88 and I98 indicating the edges of the sealed portion when the blank is folded about the line I81. This blank is employed in a manner generally similar to the blank I8, but the adhesive sections I88 and I9I contact the under side of the section I85. This arrangement is less satisfactory than that in the blank I8 because of the possibility of some oi. the glue being squeezed into the pouring spout area, and the greater strength obtainable by the outside seal. On the other hand, the blank I8 requires an extra folding operation along the line 208 to bring the adhesive flap on the outside. Such an operation is extremely diflicult to perform by automatic equipment, and the user must therefore balance the advantages and disadvantages of the two plans. As was the case with the blank I8, the adhesive section may extend all the way along the long edge of section I95 in order to secure a cheaper mode of adhesive application. It is contemplated that these closures will be prefabricated and presealed by the manufacturer, but they can be shipped unfolded and unsealed to permit the folding operation to be carried out by the packer. By usin very wide jaw crimpers in the bag closing operation the seal along the edges of the spout sections may be 4 formed simultaneously. In this case a heat activated adhesive would be necessary.

Onpage of the drawings, including Figures 20, 21, 22 and 23, a similar blank, designed to be placed on the outside of the closed mouth of a bag constructed of non-heat sealing material, is illustrated. This blank 3 comprises sections 22I. 223, 225, 227, 229, 23l, 83 and 232, defined by scored lines 222, 224 and 228, out 228, notch 238, a tear or cutting line indicated at 222 and 225, the edges of adhesive strips indicated at 224 and 230, and the edges of the blank or form. This blank is especially. adapted for prefabrication, as will be apparent from a top plan view or the folded blank constituting Figure 21, and the perspective views of the closed and thereafter opened bag closure device illustrated in Figures 20 and 22, respectively.

In applying this cl o ure to a bag mouth, the mouth is closed, pre

d flat, inserted in the folded blank, and the resulting assembly pressed between the jaws of a heat sealing device. The surface of the blank which comes into contact with the bag material, is treated or coated with, a

heat sensitive adhesive, so that adequate adherence to the bag mouth is obtained. The bag is opened in the manner previously described.

The sections 23I and 222 are sealed to the outside of the sections MI and 221 after foldingabout the line 228 in themanner described in connection with the blank I8. The section 220 is also secured by its adhesive contacting the outside of the section 22I. As was the case with the previously described closure forms, the adhesive on sections 22I and 222 may continue past the.

notch 228 down alongthe edgeot section 224 to its rounded corner. It will be understood that by properlyselecting operating conditions, water sensitive adhesives such as glue and the like may be employed ,in the prefrabrication of the closures I1, Iland 22. 1 Preferably the bags utilizedqa this invention are made of regenerated cellulose sheet such as that prepared by the viscose process according to- U. S. A. Patent No. 1,548,864 (Brandenberger),

but other transparent products such as low sub= stituted methyl cellulose, organic solvent soluble ethyl cellulose, cellulose acetate (56% combined acetic acid), rubber hydrochloride, water soluble an insoluble polyvinyls'compound film, and the like, may be employed. In the modifications re-=' quiring the bag to be of heat sealable material,

'well known in the art, and there is .no need for further details which could serve no purpose other than to burden this specification. The properties,

etc., of such materials are described in the patents relating to their manufacture, typical of which are U. S. A. Patents 1,997,583 (Hitt) 2,040,-

492 (Snyder) 2,060,906 (Snyder), 2,064,292 (Charch), 2,077,396 (Charch 8: Hershberger), 2,077,399 (Collins & Larson), 2,077,400 (Collins), 2,079,379 (Mitchell), 2,123,883 (Ellsworth), 2,

147,180 (Ubben), 2,159,152 (Hershberger) and 2,209,965 (Finzel).

Since air-tight closures are the desideratum, the invention is especially adaptable to bags of moisture-proof material capable of being heat sealed. Other related sheet material involving paper,- metal foil, cloth, and the like, as a base sheet may be used when desired. In those instances where the container material need not be heat scalable, a still wider variety of sheeted products is available, for example, other types of moisture-resistant cellulosic sheet such as those described in U. S. A. Patents 1,737,187 (Charch 2r Prindle), 2,042,589 (Charch @Hershberger), 2,= 166,366 (Meigs), 2,201,747 (Staudt) and 2,205,210 (Latour) may be used.

The blank to be used with the bags made of heat sealable material, as indicated above, is of a character which can be readily torn with the fingers, for example, a 50 .to 60 pound stock, one side of which has a smooth clay coating to enable the blank to be heat sealed to the bag mamrial, and the other side of which is plain or treated, as may be desired, but which is of such a character that it does not heat seal to itself or the bag material. The heat scalable side of the blank may have a resinous heat scalable (or equiva= lent) coating, for example, that described in U. 5.4;. Patent 2,174,885 of October 3, 1939.

When the blank is'to be assembled prior to positioning about the bag mouth, the adhesive employed may be of the water soluble type such asglue, or the heatsensitive type, as pointed out 50 preceding portion of the specification. The invention is broader, since in many instances other types of containers, such as mandrel, satchel and flat time bass, and overlaps, may be used in a manner used similar thereto.

The present invention makes bag packages and the like more attractive and useful to consumers, since it obviates the principal disadvantages heretofore encountered. In the past the opening of a securely closed bag usually meant this destroying of the top, with the result that "the bag was so weakened that it split, spilling the contents or becoming unserviceable immediately, or within a very'short time thereafter. In the present invention either the bag meuth is not mutilated, or else the mutilated portions are se- I 2,369,716 curely supported by strongly adhered blank sections, and in any case, the integrity or the container is preserved. As a result, the consumer demand for securely fastened containers which can be easily opened withoutnecessitating the immediate transfer oi the unused contents to another receptacle ior storage, has been supplied.

- As many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the specific embodiments thereof except as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

material in such a way that a tube for dispensing the contents is formed in the mouth thereof, which comprises folding a blank into at least two superimposed layers, partly inserting the folded blank in the mouth of the bag so that a portion of said folded blank extends above the mouth of the bag, and heat sealing a strip or zone extending entirely across the bag mouth and blank, the said blank having the edges which extend in the general direction of the'sides of the bag sealed to each other, and the portion joining said sealed edges above the bag mouth being joined to provide complete closure for the bag.

The process of closing bags of heat sealable' 15 PHILIP s. COGHILL. 

